1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and a device for conditioning a building electrical installation for rapid data transmission, for example for realisation of telecommunication services of all kinds, but particularly rapid Internet access by way of sockets and also realisation of digital audio and video signal transmission.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is already known, from WO 99/30434, equipment in which data are transmitted by way of a current supply mains inclusive of a mains internal to a building.
In addition, there is known from DE 195 44 027 C2 a bus system for a building electrical installation system in which three-core or also four-core conventional energy conductors are co-used for the data bus conductor.
Moreover, in DE 196 54 837 A1 there is described a bus system which is used in the field of building automation and in which the coupling into and coupling out of the low-voltage conductors employed is carried out by way of coupling transformers.
The frequency band coming into question for rapid data transmission extends from about 1 MHz to above 30 MHz. Up to now there are use specifications, in the form of European Standard EN 50065, ‘Signalling on low voltage electrical installations in the frequency range 3 kHz to 148.5 kHz’, CENELEC, Brussels, 1991, only for the frequency range of 9 kHz to 148.5 kHz below the long-wave broadcast band. In the higher frequency ranges of interest there are no freely available bands which could be allocated to new services and protected for that purpose. The spectral overlap with existing services such as broadcasting, maritime or aviation radio and amateur radio is unavoidable, so that without special measures EMV problems are not able to be excluded. This is because energy distribution mains are electromagnetically ‘open’ structures which, as antennae, receive radio signals radiated in and radiate out supplied high frequency. There are, in addition, numerous disturbances, particularly in buildings, arising through use of electrical energy, so that very low transmission levels are not sufficient for reliable communication. The scope of disturbance in factories can be particularly serious. Aggravation of the HF interference scenario is also expected in the future through the use of very rapid power switches in the form of IGBTs. The capability of realisation of reliable communication on energy distribution mains therefore stands and falls with technically and economically workable solutions for a wide palette of EMV problems. From the presentday viewpoint, current mains could take on a significance as communications medium for a period of up to 20 years. With growing scope of use the EMV problem also expands, so that a constant adaptation and supplementing of EMV solutions will be necessary.
Electromagnetic compatibility is always a two-sided issue. On the one hand it is necessary to design a system so that no impermissible disturbing effect to the environment emanates therefrom and on the other hand the system must function reliably and acceptably in every environment in which no disturbances exceeding limit values are present. The two requirements cannot be considered in isolation, but are characterised by close interaction. If there were to be success in at least partly producing, by relatively simple actions, in existing current mains the usually lacking symmetry, a significant lessening of the EMV problems could be achieved.
In all applications of communication by way of current mains the signal transmission shall fundamentally take place by way of conductor so that no outward radiation of electromagnetic fields occurs. In technical terms this is to be achieved by high symmetry of the conduction and so-called push-pull operation. Symmetry means that outward conductor and return conductor of a communications connection are disposed closely adjacent and that in terms of amount they conduct currents of equal size, wherein the current directions are opposite. In this case the fields compensate for one another in the environment and at small spacing already sink below the detectable limit. That applies particularly well to, for example, coaxial cables and twisted twin-core (English: twisted pair). If, thereagainst, typical building installations are considered, it is then recognised that such ideal conditions of symmetry are not fulfilled there.
On the other hand, however, extensive investigations into high-frequency characteristics of electrical mains installations have given the result that with moderate transmission levels a channel capacity reaching far beyond 100 Mbit/s is available. In this connection reference is made by way of example to the following documentary reference: Dostert, K., ‘Power Lines as High Speed Data Transmission Channels—Modelling the Physical Limits’, Proceedings of the 5th IEEE International Symposium on Spread Spectrum Techniques and Applications (ISSSTA '98) Sun City, South Africa (Sept. 1998), ISBN 0-7803-4281-X, Vol. 2/3, 585–589.
The construction of connections with several megabit/s thus seems, at first sight, unproblematic. Unfortunately, however, the possibilities of use of the current mains are not unlimited, because, due to the asymmetry, signal emission has to be taken into account, whereby radio services (long-wave, medium-wave and short-wave broadcasting as well as amateur radio bands) can be impaired by entirely free frequency decontrol. Whilst research and development in the past have in the first instance worked on the feasibility of a rapid data transmission on the mains, solutions for problems of electromagnetic compatibility now stand in the foreground. It is necessary on the one hand to work out compromise solutions for frequency allocation and the establishing of level limit values, and on the other hand to prevent an acceptably high signal emission, by suitable measures of symmetrisation and push-pull feed. If, for example, the starting point is that for an acceptable communication a transmission level UL, stated in Volts, is to be fed to a socket, initially the question has to be answered which electrical field strength E (in volts/metre) results therefrom at a specific distance from the supplied conductor. The answer is anything but simple, because E depends, apart from the distance, substantially on the structure of the conductor system, the kind of feed and a number of further environmental conditions. If the ratio E/UL is formed, then there is obtained a characteristic magnitude with the dimension 1/m which is termed electromagnetic coupling factor or also antenna factor.
Numerical values of K˜10−2/m . . . 10−3/m for the coupling factor result for unconditioned mains from a number of published results, such as those indicated in Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Power-Line Communications and its Applications (ISPLC '99), Lancaster, UK (1999), ISBN: 90-74249-22-1, and in the conference record of the radio exhibition intensive seminar ‘Powerline Communication and EMV’, Munich, 1 Jul. 1999, and from individual measurements. This means that in the case of a transmission level UL=1 V on the conductor (unmodulated carrier, i.e. bandwidth zero), in the measurement distance (typically 3 m) account has to be taken of electrical field strengths of E=1 . . . 10 mV/m (≡60 . . . 80 dBμV/m). These values have particular significance in connection with future establishing of limit values within the scope of the so-termed use determination 30 for the frequency allocation plan Order (Communication 1/1999 of the Reg TP).
A good communication on most installation mains would be possible with a transmission level of 1 V. It is to be noted that here only the narrow-band, unmodulated carrier was taken into consideration and conducted at 60 . . . 80 dBμV/m. Substantially lower values are obtained with a wide-band modulation in the case of standardised measurement. Moreover, according to the present invention the coupling factor can be substantially reduced by symmetrising mains actions.
In the investigation of possible interference effects by communication on current mains, distinction must be made between the two mains levels:                Mains level 1: connections between transformer station and building service connection, usually earth cable.        Mains level 2: connections by way of building installation mains.        
The mains level 1 represents the so-called ‘last mile’. For system and appliance manufacturers the bridging over of the path only as far as the building service connection is not satisfactory. There is expected a significant enhancement of the offered services when even internally of the building no cabling is present any longer and thus, for example, a PC is immediately ‘on-line’ by insertion in the mains plug. There is no doubt about the feasibility of this vision of Internet from the socket. Nevertheless, it technically does not look like that a universal transmission from the transformer station to the socket will be realised. Rather, the building service connection will represent a transfer point where the mains level 1 ends. The service provider will be responsible for the functioning of this level, whereas the design of level 2 will lie largely in the discretion of the owner of the building or dwelling.
With respect to mains structures, quite significant differences exist, as is known, between the levels 1 and 2. The most important component in the area of mains level 1 is, without doubt, the cable. The most used cable in German distribution mains has a 4-sector cross-sectional geometry, wherein three of the sectors form the phases L1, L2 and L3 of the three-phase current system, whilst the fourth represents the zero conductor or neutral conductor which is earthed at each building service connection. If high-frequency transmission signals are fed symmetrically on two phases into such an energy cable, in which case oppositely disposed sectors are to be preferred, no radio emission is to be feared. Appropriate radio field measurements have confirmed this. However, it is important not to use the neutral conductor, due to its multiple connections to earth.
The energy cable itself thus plays a subordinate role in the unintended emission of electromagnetic energy in communication by way of current mains. Critical points on mains level 1 are, on one side, the busbar system of the transformer station and, on the other side, the building wiring. At these points care has to be taken by suitable measures for a smallest possible antenna effect. The HF-suitable building service connection and the conditioning of the building installation, which is the subject of the present invention, are described in the following.
According to FIG. 1, there are to be introduced at the housing service connection into the two high-frequency conducting conductors 1 and 2 the choke coils 3 and 4 which have for high-frequency signals a relatively high resistance in the order of magnitude of approximately 5 times the impedance level of the supply cable. In this case the reflection factor at the coupling-in point is less than 10%. The lowest signal frequency to be transmitted is decisive for corresponding establishing of the inductance of the chokes 3 and 4. Due to the transmission characteristics of the energy cable on mains level 1—see Dostert, K., Zimmermann, M., ‘The Low Voltage Power Distribution Network a Last Mile Access Network—Signal Propagation and Noise Scenario in the HF-Range’, AEÜ 54 (2000) No. 1, pp. 13–22—the frequency range of approximately 2 MHz . . . 10 MHz is here of particular interest for telecommunication applications. In the case of an impedance level the order of magnitude of 50 Ω, a choke impedance of approximately 125 Ω is thus to be achieved at 2 MHz. An inductance of 10 μH results therefrom.
Since the choke coils conduct high currents at the mains frequency (50 Hz), which can amount to up to 40 A in typical building service connections, inductances in this order of magnitude are not simple to realise. Due to the necessary constructional sizes, pure air-core coils come into question only in exceptional cases. It is better to use toroidal core structures of special ferrite materials, wherein the characteristics are decisively determined not only by the material choice, but also by the core construction. Materials are to be selected which have a high saturation induction and in the case of the core construction the inclusion of distributed air gaps is of advantage, because a shear of the magnetic characteristic curves is thereby produced so that the saturation is displaced towards very high currents which lie above typical building service connection values. Good experiences were made in this connection with toroidal cores of ‘Kool-Mμ’ material of the manufacturer Magnetics. By comparison with an air-core coil, higher impedance values up to a factor of 100 can thus be achieved in the frequency range of interest with a mains current amplitude of 100 A.
In order to obtain a clear and clean separation between mains level 1 and mains level 2, in accordance with FIG. 1 three wide-band high-frequency short-circuits 5, 6 and 7 are inserted relative to the building earth point 8 and are preferably realised in the form of capacitors appropriate for high frequency. Appropriate for high frequency means that even at frequencies of about 30 MHz still no parasitic series inductance, which reduces the short-circuit effect, makes itself noticeable. The selection of suitable capacitors is difficult, because a high voltage strength is required, which can be guaranteed only by a certain constructional size. Most capacitors which are sufficiently voltage-stable are constructed in roll form, whereby the tendency to parasitic inductance is preset. Such components are usually usable only up to frequencies below 5 MHz. For the higher frequencies, so-called chip capacitors are advantageous, which are constructed in waffle form, i.e. they have a block shape, wherein the two capacitor surfaces are alternately coated with the dielectric as intermediate layer. Because a continuously wound conductor structure is not present here, very small parasitic inductances result. Capacitors of this mode of construction with the requisite high voltage strength in the magnitudes, which are necessary here, of about 50 nF, are available only in most recent times. With 50 nF there is obtained at 2 MHz an impedance of approximately 1.5 Ω, so that by virtue of the upstream chokes, which have approximately 125 Ω, virtually a perfect HF block results.
The transmission end stage of a modem 9 for communication on mains level 1 can now be matched to the impedance level of the supply cable with the help of the coupling transformer 10 independently of all electrical occurrences in the building. A thus-designed transfer point ensures that the mains level 1 remains uninfluenced by all events in the customer installation. Only thus can the reliability and availability of offered services ultimately be guaranteed.
It is still to be established why chokes are required only in the two conductors 1 and 2 acted on by high frequency and not in the other two. Due to the close proximity of the four conductors in a cable, electromagnetic couplings are unavoidable, i.e. inevitably a certain amount of crosstalk occurs. This will be strongest immediately in the vicinity of the coupling point, because the transmission level is greatest there.
Here, however, there are disposed the HF short-circuits 5, 6 and 7 which securely prevent the undesired formation of high-frequency voltages at the building service connection point, because the coupling impedances between the conductors in the frequency range of interest are always substantially greater than the impedances of the HF short-circuits.
Whilst a good mains conditioning, which allows an electromagnetically compatible and acceptable, i.e. independent of mains operation, communication at high frequencies, is thus achieved on the mains level 1, a more extensive communication by way of building installation mains is the subject of the following considerations. Within buildings, the electromagnetic compatibility is a particular challenge, because here no possibilities of a mains preparation are known. No approaches to solution are known either for insulation in terms of high frequency or for a symmetrical, pure push-pull signal feed. Thus, up to now a relatively strong coupling effect between the signal voltage UL on the conductor and the irradiated field strength had to be taken into account, i.e. the coupling factor could quite readily adopt values substantially greater than 10−3/m.
The principal cause for that is the structure of typical building installation mains. Although the distances to be bridged over on mains level 2 are substantially shorter than on mains level 1 and thereby on the one hand a higher frequency (above 30 MHz) can be used and on the other hand low transmission levels are sufficient, nevertheless problems of electromagnetic compatibility are to be feared because the size of the asymmetry is particularly high. This can be clarified by the following example:
The feedpoint for high-frequency communication signals in buildings is typically the 230 V mains socket, to which, as standard, three conductors lead, namely a phase (L1, L2 or L3), the neutral conductor and the earth conductor. Until now the starting point was a parallel feed between phase and neutral conductor. Whereas in a building one pole of all sockets is necessarily connected with the same conductively through-connected neutral conductor earthed at the housing service connection, the three phases in the ideal case are uniformly distributed at the sockets. A conductive connection of the phases is thus given only in the low-voltage transformer. The connection in terms of high frequency takes place, however, according to FIG. 1 at the housing earth point, but in the form of a short-circuit of all HF signals with simultaneous earthing. This is very unfavourable in the sense of communications use, particularly if it is imagined that a transmitting modem is fed at a socket, for example between L1 and N, and the receiving modem is disposed at a socket with L2. Here only very weak use signals can pass between L1 and L2 by crosstalk if the two phases are led in parallel over a sufficiently long length. In typical building installations that is by no means the case, so that in the case of unfavourable combinations breakdowns have to be taken into account even over relatively small distances between transmitter and receiver. On the other hand a serious asymmetry can be present with respect to the conductor structure, because it is by no means guaranteed that phase and neutral conductor, which lead to a socket, are laid in parallel and closely adjacent over the entire conductor section. In the extreme case they can even come from opposite directions. This leads directly to a high common-mode signal at the feed point, so that even at low transmission power a noticeable emission of electromagnetic waves can be observed.
Whilst the short-circuit effect, which is under consideration, of the phases at the building service connection could in principle be eliminated by insertion of additional choke coils at the housing side, the problems of electromagnetic compatibility would not thereby be solved, because no increase in conduction symmetry is produced.
Thus, with the previously known techniques an exploitation of the resources, which building installation mains offer for rapid communications applications, is possible to only very limited extent.